Vehicle speed controlled throttle governor

ABSTRACT

A motor vehicle throttle control operative to limit shifting of the throttle control between open and closed positions to a predetermined range considerably less than the full range of movement thereof between fully open and fully closed positions. The throttle control is operative to vary the effective limits of the predetermined range toward the fully open and fully closed positions of the throttle control in response to increases and decreases in vehicle speed.

Umted States Patent 1151 3,675,731

Stopera 1 July 11, 1972 [54] VEHICLE SPEED CONTROLLED 2,148,729 2/1939 Coffey ..123/98 THRQ'ITLE GOVERNOR 2,302,322 11/1942 Howard 192/3 ux 2,866,446 12/1958 Feuerstein et al. ..l23/98 2] Inventor: Waller Stow, 125 Diamond Street, BOX 2,895,460 7/1959 Brueder ..l23/98 1 16, Rayland. Ohio 4 3 2,972,390 2/1961 Bunker et al 123/97 x m 1, Clause X [21] Appl. No.: 881,120 Primary Examiner-Benjamin Hersh Assistant Examiner-John P. Silverstrlm Attorney-Clarence A. OBricn and Harvey B. Jacobson [52] U.S.Cl ..l80/109, 74/513, 123/98,

180/82, 180/110 57 ABS-H [51] Int. Cl B60k27/04 I 1 CT [58] Field of Search ..180/1 10, 77, 109, 82.1, 105, A motor vehicle throttle control operative to limit shifiins of 32 1 123 97 93 123; 192/3; 7 5 3 the throttle control between open and closed positions to a predetemtined range considerably less than the full range of [56] References and movement thereof between fully open and fully closed positions. The throttle control is operative to vary the efi'ective UNITED STATES PATENTS ff tlcrje predeterngned rang;l toward the fully open and y c ose positions' 0 the thro e control in response to in- 2,201,070 5/1940 Zrntsmaster 123/98 creases and decreases in vehicle Spam 2,104,649 [[1938 l-llnton ..123/98 1,251,176 12/1917 Braun ..l80/ll0 9Clains,5Drawingfigures 32 a 72 UH ,nr 36 20 j 70 PAIENTEDJUL 11 I972 3. 675,731 sum 2 or 2 76 Walter Slapera I N VEN TOR.

BY M

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROLLED THROTTLE GOVERNOR I The vehicle speed controlled throttle governor of the instant invention has been designed to provide a means whereby an engine throttle control of a motor vehicle may not be initially shifted to the full open position upon initial starting of the vehicle away from a stopped position. Rather, the throttle governor will enable initial partial movement of the throttle control from the fully closed or idle position to a partially open position and subsequent further movement of the throttle control toward the fully opened position thereof as the speed of the vehicle gradually increases. In addition, the throttle control of the instant invention has also been designed to provide a means whereby the throttle control of a motor vehicle may not be fully closed while the vehicle is moving at a moderate rate of speed. Rather, the throttle governor is operative to allow the throttle of a vehicle traveling at 60 miles an hour (as an example) to be initially partially shifted toward the fully closed position and subsequently allowed to move further toward the fully closed position in response to a reduction in, speed of the vehicle.

These operating characteristics of the throttle governor of the instant invention will lessen the tendency of drivers, when driving on slippery pavements, to accelerate or decelerate excessively. This in turn will of course reduce the occurrence of drive wheel spin during accelerating and drive wheel slides during deceleration.

However, that portion of the throttle governor which prevents full opening of the associated throttle when initially accelerating includes an automatic override whereby full throttle may be applied in response to greater foot throttle pressures in the case of an emergency. In addition, the throttle governor further includes means whereby its operation may be fully prevented when desired.

The main object of this invention is to provide a throttle governor operative to prevent the throttle controls of an as sociated vehicle engine from being shifted to the full open position during initial acceleration.

Another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide a throttle governor for preventing the throttle controls of the associated vehicle engine from being moved to the fully closed position during initial deceleration from high speeds.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a throttle governor in accordance with the preceding objects and including an automatic override whereby. the associated throttle controls may be shifted to the full open positions for rapid acceleration in the case of an emergency.

Another object of this invention is to provide a throttle control governor including a disconnect control whereby the throttle governor may be rendered fully inoperative when desired.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a throttle governor in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and readily adaptable to substantially all types of motor vehicles so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively easy to install.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating the throttle governor in operative association with the speedometer and throttle controls of an associated motor vehicle and with portions of the throttle governor being broken away and illustrated in vertical section;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the controlling portion of the throttle governor on somewhat of an enlarged scale and illustrating its operative association with a vehicle throttle control;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the controlling portion of the throttle governor;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the control portion of the throttle governor.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates a conventional form of motor vehicle including a drivers compartment 12 having a dashboard 14 therein. The dashboard 14 includes a conventional speedometer 16 driven from either the transmission or one of the non-driven wheels of the vehicle 10 by means of a flexible cable (not shown) and the compartment 12 further includes a foot throttle pedal 18.

The vehicle 10 includes a combustion engine referred to in general by the reference numeral 20 provided with an intake manifold 22 atop which a carburetor 24 is secured. The carburetor 24 includes an air cleaner 26 and a throttle plate shaft 28 to which a lever 30 is secured. A bell crank 32 is oscillatably supported from the fire wall 34 of the vehicle 10 and a rod 36 connects the pedal 18 to one of the arms of the bell crank 32. A rod 38 connects the other arm of the bell crank 32 to the lever 30 and an expansion spring 40 is secured between the lower portion of the fire wall 34 and the bell crank 32 for returning the throttle plate shaft 28 to the fully closed or idle position.

The foregoing may be considered as a description of a conventional form of motor vehicle.

The throttle governor of the instant invention is referred to in general by the reference numeral 42 and includes a control portion referred to in general by the reference numeral 44. In addition, the throttle control 42 includes a governor referred to in general by the reference numeral 46 and it may be seen from FIG. 1 of the drawings that the rotary input shaft portion 48 of the governor 46 is driven by means of a flexible cable 50 from the speedometer 16.

The governor 46 includes radially outwardly extendable weights 52 mounted on spring arms 54 to one set of corresponding ends of which a slidable sleeve 56 is secured. Accordingly, outward projection of the weights 52 in response to increased speed of rotation of the input shaft portion 48 of the governor 46 will cause the sleeve 56 to be shifted toward the left as viewed in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

The inner core 58 of a bowden cable assembly referred to in general by the reference numeral 60 includes a rotatable connection 62 with the sleeve 56 and the bowden cable assembly 60 includes a housing 64 provided with one end adjacent the sleeve 62 stationarily supported from a suitable support 66.

The control portion 44 of the throttle governor 42 comprises an elongated housing referred to in general by the reference numeral 68 and the housing 68 includes front and rear walls 70 and 72 interconnected at their lower marginal edge portions by means of a bottom wall 74. In addition, the housing 68 includes a pair of opposite side walls 76 extending between the front and rear walls 70 and 72 and a top wall 78 is also provided for the housing 68 and secured in position by means of removable fasteners 80.

A pair of upper and lower slide blocks 82 and 84 are slidingly disposed in the housing 68 for reciprocation longitudinally thereof and the undersurface of the upper slide block 82 is disposed in sliding contacting engagement with the upper surface of the slide block 84.

The end of the housing 64 remote from the sleeve 56 is threadedly secured through the front wall 70 of the housing 68 as at 86 and an adjustable length rod 88 is secured between the lever 30 and the rear end of the upper slide block 82.

The upper slide block 82 includes a downwardly opening transverse notch 90 including a forward abutment surface or side 92 and a rear abutment surface or side 94. An abutment block 96 is disposed within the notch 90 and has its lower surface disposed in sliding contacting engagement with the upper surface of the lower block 84. The rear face of the abutment block 96 includes a rearward projection 98 over which the front end of a compression spring 100 is secured. The rear end of the compression spring 100 is received in a longitudinal blind bore 102 whose forward end opens into the notch 90 and a small diameter threaded bore 104 is formed through the rear end of the upper slide block 82 and opens into the center of the inner end of the blind bore 102. A threaded adjusting rod 106 has its forward end disposed in the blind bore 102 and a head 108 mounted thereon slidably disposed in the bore 102 to which the end of the compression spring 100 remote from the abutment block 96 is secured. The adjusting screw or shaft 106 is threaded through the bore 104 and includes a rear end portion projecting through an aperture 1 formed in the rear wall 72 of the housing 68.

The end of the core 58 remote from the sleeve 56 is threadedly engaged in the front end of the lower slide block 84 as at 112 and the lower slide block 84 has an upwardly opening recess 1 14 formed therein which is of a width less than the width of the slide block 84. In addition, the slide block 84 includes a longitudinal passage 116 whose forward end opens into the recess 114 and it may be seen from FIG. 2 of the drawings that the rear end of 'the recess 114 includes a downward extension 1 18.

An elongated cam rod 120 is slidably received in the passage 116 and includes a rear end portion 122 slidingly received through a bore 124 formed in the rear wall 72 of the housing 68.

The rear end portion 122 of the cam rod 120 has one end of a bowden cable core 126 secured thereto and the other end of the bowden cable core 126 projects through the dashboard 14 and has a pull knob 128 mounted thereon. Accordingly, the cam rod 120 may be reciprocated in the passage 116 upon reciprocation of the knob 128 toward and away from the dashboard 14.

The rear end of the recess 114 has a lock frame 132 mounted therein for vertical reciprocation and the lower portion of the lock frame 132 is receivable downwardly in the extension 118. Further, a pair of short compression springs 134 are seated in the downward extension 118 beneath the lower portion of the lock frame 132.

In operation, when the knob 128 is pushed inwardly so as to shift thecam rod 120 forwardly in the housing 68, the inclined undersurface 138 of the forward end of the cam rod 120 acts upon the lock frame 132 to cam the latter downwardly into the extension 118 with the upper surface of the lock frame 132 free of portions which project above the upper surface of the lower slide block 84 and into the notch 90. When thus retracted, the lock frame 132 is operative to render the throttle governor 42 fully inoperative to perform its intended function. However, when the knob 128 is pulled rearwardly so as to rearwardly shift the cam rod 120 to the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the lock frame 132 is allowed to be urged upwardly by the compression springs 134 to a position with the upper portion of the lock frame 132 projecting into the notch 90.

With attention now directed more specifically to FIG. 1 of the drawings, it is to be noted that the pedal 18 is but slightly depressed so as to rotate the throttle plate shaft 28 slightly from the idle position toward the open position. It may also be appreciated that further sudden depression of the pedal 18 will be limited by forward movement of the upper slide block 82 in the housing 68 sufficient to cause the forward face of the abutment block 96 to engage the upwardly projecting portion of the lock frame 132. Thus, the throttle plate shafi 28 may not be rotated to the fully open position. However, as the speed of the vehicle 10 increases, the sleeve 56 will move to the left as viewed in FIG. 1 of the drawings thus drawing the slide block 84 to the right as viewed in FIG. 1 of the drawings and enabling the abutment block 96 and thus the slide block 82 to be shifted further toward the right. This of course will cause the throttle plate shaft 28 to be rotated further toward the full open position.

If for any reason it is imperative that full throttle operation of the engine 20 be efl'ected, a greater downward pressure on the pedal 18 will enable the slide block 82 to be shifted further toward the right as viewed in FIG. 1 of the drawings and thus the throttle plate shaft 28 to be oscillated to the full open position, but only after the compression spring 100 has been compressed. Thus, movement of the throttle plate shaft 28 toward the full open position upon initial acceleration of the vehicle 10 is limited, but only by the compreuion spring 100 thereby allowing the throttle governor 42 to be overridden, if desired.

With regard now to the operation of the throttle governor 42 during deceleration of the vehicle 10, it will be noted that if the vehicle 10 is proceeding at speed with the slide block 82 and limit frame 132 relatively positioned as illustrated in FIG.

l of the drawings the upper slide block 82 may be only partially retracted to the left toward the full idle throttle position before the surface 92 at the forward end of the notch engages the forward face of the lock frame 132, see FIG. 2. Of course, as the speed of the vehicle 10 decreases, the governor 46 will be operative to shift the lower slide block 84 to the left and thus allow further movement of the upper slide block 82 to the left and further movement of the throttle plate shaft 28 toward the fully closed or idle position.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1, In combination with a vehicle including an engine throttle control portion shiftable along a predetermined path between first and second fully open and fully closed limit positions, vehicle speed controlled means defining first and second limit abutments spaced apart and along said path, the spacing between said limit abutments being less than the spacing between said first and second limit positions, said vehicle speed controlled means being operative to shift said limit abutments along said path in the directions of movement of said throttle control portion toward said first and second limit positions in response to increase and decrease, respectively, in the speed of said vehicle, said first and second limit abutments being engageable by said throttle control portion for limiting shifting of the latter along said path toward said first and second positions, respectively, said first limit abutment being supported for shifting toward and away from said second limit abutment between a first location adjacent said second abutment and a second location remote from said second abutment and means yieldingly urging said first abutment toward said first location.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said throttle control portion is mounted in a carrier therefor shiftable along said path, said vehicle speed controled means being shiftable relative to said carrier transversely of said path for shifting out of registry with said limit abutments.

3. The combination of claim 2 including remotely actuatable control means operatively associated with said throttle control portion for selectively shifting said throttle control portion transversely of said path out of registry with said limit abutments.

4. In combination, a wheeled vehicle including a throttle portion shiftable between open and closed positions and a drive assembly driven at speeds proportional to the speed of movement of said vehicle, a throttle control operatively connected between said drive assembly and said throttle portion including means operative to limit shifting of said throttle portion toward said open position upon initial acceleration of said vehicle from a stand still and low speed movement and to thereafter allow further movement of the throttle portion toward said open position in response to increasing speed of said vehicle, said throttle control also including means operative to limit shifting of said throttle portion toward said closed position upon initial deceleration of the vehicle from high speed movement and to thereafter allow further movement of the throttle portion toward said closed position in response to decreasing speed of said vehicle.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said means limiting shifting of said throttle portion toward said open position defines a yieldable limit which may be overridden by an increase of pressure acting on said throttle portion to shift the latter toward its open position.

6. The combination of claim 4 wherein said throttle control includes a vehicle speed driven centrifugal governor driven at a speed proportional to vehicle speed.

7. The combination of claim 4 wherein said throttle control includes remotely actuatable control override means operative, when actuated, to effectively disconnect said control from said drive assembly.

8. In combination, first and second members supported for relative oscillation along a predetermined path, said first member including first and second abutment surfaces spaced along said path and said second member including abutment element means supported therefrom for shifting laterally of said path between a first position engageable by said surfaces and a second position out of registry with said surfaces, said element means having a pair of abutment faces abuttingly engageable with said surfaces upon relative oscillation of said members when said element is in said first position, one abutment surface of said first member being supported therefrom for shifiing relative to the latter longitudinally of said path between near and far positions relative to the other abutment surface, means yieldingly biasing said one abutment surface toward said near position, a vehicle having a throttle control oscillatable between open and closed positions and a vehicle speed driven member oscillatable in response to increase and decrease in speed of said vehicle, means connecting said throttle control to one of said first and second members and said vehicle speed driven member to the other of said first and second members.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said one member comprises said first member. 

1. In combination with a vehicle including an engine throttle control portion shiftable along a predetermined path between first and second fully open and fully closed limit positions, vehicle speed controlled means defining first and second limit abutments spaced apart and along said path, the spacing between said limit abutments being less than the spacing between said first and second limit positions, said vehicle speed controlled means being operative to shift said limit abutments along said path in the directions of movement of said throttle control portion toward said fIrst and second limit positions in response to increase and decrease, respectively, in the speed of said vehicle, said first and second limit abutments being engageable by said throttle control portion for limiting shifting of the latter along said path toward said first and second positions, respectively, said first limit abutment being supported for shifting toward and away from said second limit abutment between a first location adjacent said second abutment and a second location remote from said second abutment and means yieldingly urging said first abutment toward said first location.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said throttle control portion is mounted in a carrier therefor shiftable along said path, said vehicle speed controlled means being shiftable relative to said carrier transversely of said path for shifting out of registry with said limit abutments.
 3. The combination of claim 2 including remotely actuatable control means operatively associated with said throttle control portion for selectively shifting said throttle control portion transversely of said path out of registry with said limit abutments.
 4. In combination, a wheeled vehicle including a throttle portion shiftable between open and closed positions and a drive assembly driven at speeds proportional to the speed of movement of said vehicle, a throttle control operatively connected between said drive assembly and said throttle portion including means operative to limit shifting of said throttle portion toward said open position upon initial acceleration of said vehicle from a stand still and low speed movement and to thereafter allow further movement of the throttle portion toward said open position in response to increasing speed of said vehicle, said throttle control also including means operative to limit shifting of said throttle portion toward said closed position upon initial deceleration of the vehicle from high speed movement and to thereafter allow further movement of the throttle portion toward said closed position in response to decreasing speed of said vehicle.
 5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said means limiting shifting of said throttle portion toward said open position defines a yieldable limit which may be overridden by an increase of pressure acting on said throttle portion to shift the latter toward its open position.
 6. The combination of claim 4 wherein said throttle control includes a vehicle speed driven centrifugal governor driven at a speed proportional to vehicle speed.
 7. The combination of claim 4 wherein said throttle control includes remotely actuatable control override means operative, when actuated, to effectively disconnect said control from said drive assembly.
 8. In combination, first and second members supported for relative oscillation along a predetermined path, said first member including first and second abutment surfaces spaced along said path and said second member including abutment element means supported therefrom for shifting laterally of said path between a first position engageable by said surfaces and a second position out of registry with said surfaces, said element means having a pair of abutment faces abuttingly engageable with said surfaces upon relative oscillation of said members when said element is in said first position, one abutment surface of said first member being supported therefrom for shifting relative to the latter longitudinally of said path between near and far positions relative to the other abutment surface, means yieldingly biasing said one abutment surface toward said near position, a vehicle having a throttle control oscillatable between open and closed positions and a vehicle speed driven member oscillatable in response to increase and decrease in speed of said vehicle, means connecting said throttle control to one of said first and second members and said vehicle speed driven member to the other of said first and second members.
 9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said one member comprises saId first member. 